When Pharisees try to trap Jesus, things become as delightful - and goofy - as a Road Runner cartoon!
Read MoreJesus and the Wile E. Pharisees
Trickster
Sneak Review!
If you've got a hankering for a "Road Runner" Binge-a-thon or a viewing (or two) of "Some Like It Hot," may I suggest a reading of Genesis? It's a book filled with wacky "trickster tales"...at least 13 of 'em!
Read MoreTricksters, Terrorists and Taste Buds: Thoughts on Jacob and the Current Israeli/Palestinian Conflict
As Israel and Palestine have jumped into another heartbreaking round of intensified bloodshed and intractable vitriol aimed at one another, I wonder if what the Bible says about tricksters, especially in the "Jacob Cycle" of Genesis 25-33, can provide helpful insight.
Read MoreWhy the Bible Loves Lucy
in comedy of the Bible, Fool, Isaac, Jewish humor, Genesis, Trickster, Jacob, Esau
Lucy shows us we can make those intractable times in our lives and places in our world lively, impacting, creative, joyful and extraordinary. Just like the Bible's many tricksters!
Read MoreAdventure Down the Rabbit Hole
Jesus' brief "Parable of the Hidden Treasure" is a quagmire of unanswered questions and weirdnesses. Grab your Dramamine and let's check it out!
Read MoreThe Snip-Snip That Saved Western Civilization
In the true spirit of Mother’s Day, The Comic Lens lifts up perhaps the most audacious peacemaking woman and mother – the most significant peacemaker you may have never heard of -- Zipporah!
Read MoreOriginal (and Fun!) Easter Sermon
The fourth century "Paschal Homily" of St. John Chrysostom, our earliest Easter sermon, is a blast! (Pacifistically speaking, of course....)
Read More“Then Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into Eglon’s belly; the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his belly; and the dirt came out.”
There's Something About Eglon
One of the functions of the story of Ehud and King Eglon, and maybe the whole of the Book of Judges, is to entertain the kids, especially young teens, who would find such low and lurid stories spellbinding and something to look forward to after a long hard day in the fields or on the road.
Read MoreEngaging the Powers Engagingly
My favorite theologian, Walter Wink, most entertainingly demonstrates how Jesus taught his followers to be peacemakers, emerging God's Realm of justice, harmony and joy for all through practical, effective, and hilariously clever acts of intentional non-violence.
Read MoreHeavenly Hustle
As unsavory and implausible as it may seem for inclusion in a sacred text, hoodwinkery is a phenomenon prominent and playfully celebrated in our Bible. Throughout the text, Old and New Testaments. Even at the cross.
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